The Implications of the Symbiotic Political Economic Relationship in Iraq and Kurdistan

In-House Seminar

Iraqi and Kurdish politics and economy have reached a new low. The country currently faces a number of different, albeit interrelated wars: war on terror, ethnic war, sectarian war, intra-Shia war (Qom vs. Najaf seminary) and the multiple impasses in the Kurdistan region. The different groups in the country are fighting in variety of ways over the ownership of the country. To whom Iraq belongs is not just a basic question of identity, it is also a question relating to the nature and structure of the state. Within this framework, the seminar assesses the role and behavior of the newly emerged political actors in the country, namely the party echelons. These new elites are permanent and ̶ in contradiction of democratic rule ̶ unchangeable. In order to survive and maintain their status, these elites control the politics and the economy of the country debarring the vast majority of the population from any active involvement. The seminar demystifies this unique form of governing and its dire impact on the country and region.Talk by:Sardar Aziz Senior Advisor for the Natural Resource Committee at the Kurdistan Parliament of Iraq